Ice tray release mechanism



Nov. 9, 1937. s. w. E. ANDERSSON ICE TRAY RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Oct.27. 1935 INVENTOR.

SVEN WEJ1NDER880N ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 9, 193'} UNITED STATES,-

PATENT orr c-E IcE TRAY RELEASE MECHANISM Sven W. E. Andersson,Evansville, Ind., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Servel, Inc., Dover,. Del., a. corporation ofDelaware Application October 27, 1933, Serial No. 695,398 Claims. '(01.62-1085) This invention relates to ice trays or the like for use inhousehold refrigerators, in which water, desserts, or other matter, isadapted to be frozen.

Considerable difliculty is experienced in remov- 5 ing ice trays fromthe cooling units in which they are placed to have their contentsfrozen, due to formation of an ice bond between the tray and the shelfor other supporting structure, and until such ice bond is broken removalof the tray is impossible.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means forfacilitating and simplifying the removal of ice trays after the contentsof the same have been frozen. Y

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

} Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an ice tray and fragmentary coolingunit;

Fig. 2, a central longitudinal fragmentary section on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig; 3, a central longitudinal fragmentary section of a modifiedconstruction; and i Fig. 4, a central longitudinal fragmentary sec--tion of a still further modified construction.

Referring to the drawing, an evaporator or cooling unit ID of ahousehold refrigerator, not shown, is refrigerated in any desiredmanner. The evaporator I0 is provided with a tray receiving compartmentor compartments, in which an ice tray II is placed for freezing thecontents of the same. The tray ll rests on the lower horizontal portionor shelf of the cooling unit, the broad fiat bottom of the tray being inthermal contact with the shelf in order to; provide a good heat path forremoval of heat by conductivity through the tray and shelf. When thetray is filled with water, moisture on the bottom of the tray freezesand forms an ice bond between the bottom of the tray and the shelf,which bond it is necessary to break before or at the time of removal ofthe tray. This breaking of the ice bond can be accomplished by insertionof a flat instrument, such as a knife or the like, between'the tray andthe shelf. 'However, as shown on the drawlng, there are providedleverage devices by which the breaking of the above described ice'bondmaybe accomplished.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ice tray ll consists of a tray orreceptacle body l2, and a tray front l3 having a handle or hand gripportion ll.

The tray body i2 has its front end provided with tion is provided at thetime of stamping the tray, the material at each side of the tray beingout along the line IS in order to provide a triangular reinforcement ateach front outer corner of the tray. 5 The front of the tray'is rolledover to provide an inverted trough or inverted U -shaped channel I1, andmeans is provided for exerting pressure,

between the shelf on which the tray is supported and such channel. Alever l8 has its lower end 10 provided with a foot IS, the heel of whichis adapted to engage and rest upon the shelf of the cooling unit whenthe tray is inserted. The foot 19 is provided on its upper surface witha socket 20, in which rests the lower extremity of a lever 15 2|. Thelever 2| is in the form of a bar having its upper end provided with arounded portion 2|, for engagement in the channel ll. The lever l8 hasits upper extremity bent to form a finger grip 22, disposed in a readilyaccessible position for- 20 wardly of the end of the grip M of the icetray front. The hand grip portion of the tray front is provided with aslot 23 through which the lever I8 projects, the slot permittingreciprocation of the lever. 5 v The parts are maintained in assembledrelation when the tray is removed from its support, by means of a fiatspring 24, which has its central portion imbedded in a slot in thelever, as shown,

or otherwise attached thereto, the ends of the 30 spring 24 beingprovided with lateral portions 25, held in place by the fastening boltsl5, With this described construction the spring 24 normally maintainsthe parts in the position shown in Figs.

2 and 4, but allows the downward swinging of 35 the lever handle 22 totwist such spring. The bar 2| is confined near the longitudinal centerof the tray between ears or other abutments 26, formed integrally withthe bent over portionof the front end of the tray. 40

In the use of the above described construction the tray body I2 isfilled with water or the like tray bottom and shelf will be frozen, thusfirmly uniting the parts When it is desired to remove 50 the tray withits contents, the handle 22 of the lever I8 is swung downwardly, thusincreasing. the distance from the curved top of the lever 2 I. and theheel of the lever, and as the shelf is flied,

the upper end of the'tray will be forced upwardly and break any abovedescribed ice bond. Release of the handle 22 allows the spring 24 toturn the parts to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereupon thehand grip ll of the tray front can be grasped and the tray removed fromthe cooling unit.

Referring to Fig. 3, a lever 30 is provided with an operating handle 3|at its upper end, and is provided with a foot 32 at its lower end. Tothe heel of the lever is hinged a short lever or bar 33, which has itsupper end mounted on pivot 34 beneath the curved tray flange. A spring35 is provided for normally maintaining the lever 30 in its uppermostand inoperative position. In operation, when the handle 3| of the lever30 is swung downwardly the foot 32 and lever 33 are moved toward astraight line relation and the distance between the portionof the leverwhich engages the shelf l6 and the upper end of the lever 33 isvincreased, thus raising the front end of the tray from the shelf.

As shown in Fig. 4, a lever 36 is pivoted at 31 beneath the front trayflange, and a lever 38 is pivoted at 39 to the lever 36. The lever 36will be inclined when the tray is inserted and have its lower end incontact with the evaporator shelf, wherefore swinging of the lever 36about its pivot 31 will increase the distance between the lowerextremity of the lever 36 and the pivot 31, thus raising the front endof the tray. The lever 36 is preferably curved to snugly conform to theoutline of the hand grip portion of the tray front It. Further, thelever is preferably of sufficient weight so that it will return bygravity to its normal positionas shown in Fig. 4, and can be grasped andswung upwardly for performing the loosening operation. Instead ofallowing the lever to return to normal position by gravity, a spring orother desired means can be used.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various otherchanges may bemade in the construction and arrangement without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and there fore the invention is notlimited to what is shown in the drawing and described in thespecification,

but only as indicated in the following claims.

- What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an ice freezing receptacle and a refrigeratedsupport therefor of a toggle device on the receptacle for breaking anice bond between the receptacle and support comprising a pair of levershinged together and attached to the receptaclein a manner to beoperatively associated with said receptacle and support respectivelywhen said receptacle is on said support, means for operating said devicecomprising a handleformed integrally with one of said levers for,movingsaid levers toward a straight line position to exert a separationforce between said receptacle and support.

2. In combination with an ice freezing receptacle and a refrigeratedsupport therefor of a toggle device on the receptacle for breaking'anice bond between the receptacle and support comprising a pair of levershinged together and attached to the receptacle in a manner to beoperatively associated with said receptacle and support respectivelywhen said receptacle is on said support, means for operating said devicecomprising a handle formed integrally with one of said leversoperatively associated with said receptacle and arranged to be liftedfor moving said levers toward a straight line position to exert aseparation force between said receptacle and support.

3 In combination with an ice freezing receptacle and a refrigeratedsupport therefor of a toggle device onthe receptacle for breaking an icebond between the receptacle and support comprising a pair of levershinged together and atceptacle, adapted to engage a refrigerated supporttherefor, of a toggle device on the receptacle for breaking an ice bondbetween the receptacle and such support; said device comprising a pairof levers hinged together and attached to the receptacle in a manner toengage said support when said receptacle is supported thereon, and

means for operating said device comprising a handle formed integrallywith one of said levers for moving said levers toward a straight lineposition to exert a separating force between said receptacle andsupport.

5. The combination with an ice freezing re- I cepmcle'. adapted toengage a refrigerated support therefor, of a toggle device on thereceptacle forbreaking an ice bond between the receptacle and suchsupport; said device comprising a pair of levers hinged together andattached to the receptacle in a manner to exert a force on thereceptacle and support respectively when said receptacle is -on saidsupport, and means for operating said device comprising a handle'formedintegrally with the one of said levers exerting the force on saidreceptacle and arranged to be lifted for moving said levers toward astraight line position to exert such force and cause a separationbetween said receptacle and support.

SVEN W. E. ANDERSSON.

